Electrical connector



March s, 1955 R. w. MINT@ 2,703,870

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed Feb. 12, 1954 l kI-IIIHI United States Patent() ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Robert W. Minto, Seattle, Wash., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Application February 12, 1954, serial No. 410,059

` z Claims. (Cl.- 339-94) 'watertight seal after the parts`of such a connector have l been assembled.

One of the principal objects of this invention, therefore, is to provide an electrical connector which will enlable electric cables to be quickly joined under water, and

which will maintain said cable joint watertight.

Another object of the invention is to provide an electrical connector which will be economical to manufacture and will be reliable in operation.

Other objects `and many. ofthe attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following atented Mar. 8, 1955 "ice tion of the receptacle 22, limits said receptacle against rotation in the recess, and a retaining ring 26, which engages in a suitable groove near the inner end of the recess 23 and bears against a shoulder 26a on the receptacle 22, limits said receptacle against inward displacement.

To provide a seal for the housing 24 and the receptacle 22 a generally hemispherical soft rubber disk 28 is utilized. The disk 28 is tted snugly in the relatively shallow recess 23a with its curved surface projecting inwardly, that is, away from the receptacle 22, and is held in place in said shallow recess by a threaded retaining ring 30 which is screwed on the head 25. Formed in the disk 28 in positions to confront the jaws of the receptacle 22 are self sealing orifices 29.

`The outer end of the housing 24 is formed with an internally threaded axial bore 24a which receives a packing gland 34, said gland being constituted by a sealing detailed description, when considered in connectionwith v the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l` isa longitudinalV section through the velectrical -connector of---the present invention, particuluarly illus trating the parts in unassembled position;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, illustrating the connector with the parts in assembled position; and

Fig. 3 is a detail elevation showing the sealing disks employed.

In accordance with the invention, a watertight electrical connector is provided to enable electric cables to be interconnected under water, and to maintain a watertight connection for said cables. The essence of the invention resides in the use of a pair of disks of soft rubber or other suitable material, to prevent entry of water into either part ofthe connector prior to assembly, but to allow the passage of connecting pins in one part of the connector into a receptacle in the other part thereof after the parts have been placed in cooperative relationship.

The connecting pins are adapted to penetrate the rubber disks, through sealable orifices, in much the same manner as a hypodermic needle penetrates the rubber stopper of a serum bottle. After the connecting pins have been withdrawn from the disks, the orifices close, thus restoring theV water seal to each separate part of the connector. The surfaces of the rubber disks are generally hemispherical in shape so that as said disks are pressed together during assembly of the connector, any water trapped between them will be expelled radially through apertures formed in an annularly spaced series in a coupling nut which holds the parts of the connector in assembled relationship.

Referringnow to the drawings in more detail, the electrical connector which constitutes the present invention is shown generally at 16, and comprises a pair of mating parts 17 and 18. The parts 17 and 18 support, respectively, the end portions of cables which are to be connected together, said cables being indicated at 20 and 40.

The cable 20 has a plurality of conductors connected to a receptacle 22 which receives connecting pins 31 of a plug 42, as will be described in more detail hereinafter. The part 17 includes a cylindrical housing 24 having an enlarged, threaded head 25 at its inner end. The housing 24 is formed with a relatively deep cylindrical recess 23, to receive the receptacle 22 therein, and with a relatively shallow recess 23a, the purpose for which will be made evident presently. The recess 23 is shouldered, as shown at 23b, to provide a seat for the outer end of the receptacle 22. A key 32, fitting in mating grooves in the recess 23 near the open end thereof and in the inner end porring 34a, a packing ring 36 and a packing nut 38. The sealing ring 34a lits snugly about the cable 20 and thus provides a watertight seal therefor.

The part 18 of the improved connector includes an externally threaded shell or sleeve 50 which is formed at its inner end with a relatively shallow recess 51. A groove 53 is provided in the inner surface of the sleeve and extends longitudinally, from the recess 51, substantially one third the length of said sleeve. Movably mounted in the sleeve 5i) is a body 44 which is limited against rotation with respect to the sleeve 50 by a tongue 47, slidably engageable in the groove 53. Said tongue 47 and groove 53 also cooperate to limit movement of the body 44 in the sleeve 50. Near the mid-point of the body 44 there is provided an annular groove 49 which has mounted therein a preferably rubber sealing ring 49a. Thus it will be seen that the body 44 is mounted for limited longitudinal movement within the sleeve 50, and that the ring 49a elfectively prevents entry of water into the inner end of the sleeve 50.

Mounted in the relatively shallow recess 51 in the end of the sleeve 50 is a preferably metal stripper plate 56 having apertures alined to receive therethrough the pins 31 of the plug 42. Also positioned in the recess 51 is a generally hemispherical soft rubber disk 33, similar to the disk 28. The disk 33 is provided with a flange 33a and with orifices 33b alined with the orifices 29 and with the openings in the stripper plate 56, said orifices 3317 each having a guide socket 33e. An internally threaded retaining ring 58 holds the disk 33 and the stripper plate 56 in operative position in the recess 51. The ring 58 is formed with a groove 58a to receive an orienting tongue 58b on the ring 30.

The body 44 has extending from its inner end a relatively shallow axial recess 50a which communicates with a relatively deep recess 50b. The recess 50h is of smaller diameter than the recess 50a, and thus defines a shoulder 50c, against which is seated the rim of the plug 42, said plug being held in place by a retaining ring 46 and being held against rotation by a key 48 which is similar to the key 32.

The end portion of the cable 40 extends through an axial bore 50d and has its several conductors connected to the pins 31. The bore 50d communicates with a bore 35, similar to the bore 24a, which receives a packing gland 34 having a sealing ring 35a, a packing ring 36a and a packing nut 54.

At 62 is shown a coupling nut which surrounds the ring 58 and is screwed on the ring 30. As best seen in Fig. l, the nut 62 is freely rotatable about the ring 58 and has a ange 63 which engages the rear end face of said ring for holding the parts 17 and 18 together. Openings 64, arranged in an annular series about the nut 62, permit expulsion of any water present between the parts 17 and 18 during assembly.

The numeral 75 indicates an operating nut including a relatively thin internally threaded portion 76 which is screwed on the sleeve S0, and a relatively thick portion 77 rotatable about the outer end portion of the body 44. At its outer end the nut 75 is formed with an internally projecting ange 78 which bears against the end wall of the body 44, between said end wall and the packing nut 54. It will be seen that by rotating the operating nut 75 on the sleeve 50, the body will be shifted within said sleeve for forcing the pins 3l of the plug 42, initially in the openings in the stripper plate 56, through the orices 33b and 29 and into the jaws in the receptacle 22.

In operation, when it is desired to connect a pair of cables, such as the cables 20 and 40, the parts 17 and 18 are irst moved into engagement and properly oriented with the tongue 58b extending into the groove 58a. The nut 62 is then screwed on the ring 30, when the hemispherical faces of the disks 28 and 33 will be substantially attened by interengagement. The operating nut 75 may thenfbe rotated on the sleeve for engagingthe pins 31 in thel jaws f the receptacle 22, as'described hereinabove. lf the connection is made with the' parts 174 and 18 submerged, the disks 28 and 33 will electively prevent the entry of`water into either of said parts, and any water trapped between the parts 17 and 1'8 will be expelled through the openings 64. v When it is desired toseparate the parts 17 and I8, the operating nut 75 is rotated for retracting the plug 42, with the pins 31 thereon within the sleeve 50. The pins will be withdrawn from the receptacle 22 and through the orices 29 and 3311 which orifices will automatically seal. Distortion of the disks 28 and 33 will be prevented by the action of the stripper plate 56. It will thus be seen that a cable connector has been provided which will enable a pair of electric cables to be joined under water, and to maintain a watertight joint after connection. Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scopeof the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

CTI

1. An electrical connector for connecting two cables v together, comprising two mating parts, one part being located on the end of each of said cables, a plug having pins thereon and located in one of said mating parts and connected to one of said cables, and a receptacle in the other of said mating p arts and connected to the other of said cables, means for holding the mating parts together, and at least two self-sealing" means with mating convex surfaces located between said mating parts and arranged to prevent the entrance of a fluid into either of said mating parts, said holding means having a plurality of apertures provided therein for the'es'caping of said Huid, said plug being movable when the connector is assembled for forcing said pins through said self-sealing means into said receptacle to form an electrical connection.l'ietween said cables, said self-sealing means maintaining-auid tight connection for said connector. f f f 1" 2. An electrical connector for connecting two cables together, Ycomprising two mating parts," one part-being located on the end of each-of s aid cables, a plug having pins thereon and located in one 'of said mating parts and connected to one of said cables, a receptacle in the other of said mating parts and ,connected .to the other of said cables, coupling means for holding the matngpartstogether, and two self-sealing rubber means with spherical surfaces, one each'located on the'mating face's'of said mating parts and arranged'to prevent the entrance of n fluid into either of said mating parts, said coupling means having a plurality of apertures provided thereih forlthe escaping of said fluid, said plug being movable when the connector is assembled for forcing said pins through said self-sealing rubber means into said receptacle to. form an electrical connection between said cables, said self-Sealing means maintaining a, iuicl tight connection for said con- `nec'tor by said self-sealing means being compressed -to force said fluid through said apertures.

Referenten' cumin the ne ef'tnis patent A UNrrEn s'rArEs PATENTS 2,677,811 'Anderson etal. May 4,V r1 954 

